Cranberry picker



6, 1951 C, l, BRATENG CRANBERRY PICKER Filed June 7, 1946 /4 TTURA/E March 6, 1951 c. l. BRATENG 2,544,443

CRANBERRY PICKER Filed June 7, 1946 5 Sheets-Shee 2 /A//EA/TDF EARL l 5mm-N5 TTDRNEW arch 6, if@ C, l, BRATENG 2,544,443

CRANBERRY PICKER Filed June 7, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 E: 7- TURA/5V Patented Mar. V6, 1951 This invention relates generally to the' 4cranberry industry and particularly to a cranberry picker. I.. o n The main objectof this'lnvention is to provide a means for picking cranberries with a minimum expenditureV of time and labor and with the least tememento. injure.. the., rines and. fruit. f;

The second object is to reduce the fatigue ordinarily occasioned by the picking operation.

I accomplish these and other objects in av broken away to show the construction. Fig. 3

is drawn to a larger scale than is Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4--4 in Fig. 3. n

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the aprons. Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the reciprocating bars.

Similar numbers of reference refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawings there is shown a wheeled vehicle I 0,*on which is mounted a motor `I I, whose shaft I2 drives a fan within the casing I3, to which air is supplied by the duct I4, which connects with the separating compartment I5. A suction housing I6 extends from Y the compartment I5 and is supported by the .Y brace I1 which extends from the vehicle IIJ to the clamp I8, which is placed on the housing I6 some distance from the member l5. The housing I6 terminates in a pick-up end I9.

The mechanism thus far described is in common use; its purpose being to pick up the cranberries and deliver them into the separator I5. Referring especially to my invention, same will' 'interior of the box.

The sides yIlI'I are slotted to receive the slidable v'bars 23, from which extend downwardly the Vver-V f tical pegs 24, preferably having their lower ends 25 pointed.V The bars 23 are held in place by their angle members 26 having the points 21 'f formed on'ther downturned sides 28; VThe lower :edges of the ends 2I are also provided with down- ,turned points 29, which are similar in function to the points 21. Each of the l'bars 23 is provided with afpair of anglebars, which are spaced -to receive an eccentric-3l. mounted on a shaft 32 .which Ajournals...in vs lrefu'e'nds 2.I. l l f On thes'haft'3`2 "iswseclred a pulley 33,whose belt 34 passes around the pulley 35 of the drive motor 36 mounted on the roof 22. It is desired to set the eccentric 3I in different positions in order that the positions and travel of the bars 23 be constantly changing with relation to each other.

In order to support the device, there is provided a ground engaging wheel 31, whose axle 38 extends through the side bars 39, and held in their proper relation by means of the arched brace 4I. Handles 40 are secured to the axle 38 and the arched brace 4I.

In order to illustrate the invention, there is shown the surface 42 of a cranberry bog on which are grown the plants 43, which bear the cranberries 44. It is a peculiar fact that the major portion ofthe cranberries occupy a plane twothirds above the level of the surface 42, and onethird below the top of the plants 43. The current may be supplied to ther motor 36 through a flexible conductor 45 from the prime mover of the wheeled vehicle I0.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming that the apparatus is in a form shown in Fig. l and that the cranberries are ready `for harvesting, it is only necessary to move the device on its wheel 31, and that it is in a position as shown in Fig. 2, and then by raising up on the handles 40 to permit the device toY settle down upon the brushes from which the berries are to be picked. Power is now supplied to the motor 36 causing the bars 23 to reciprocate and violently shake the berries free from their plants and capable of being picked up by the suction end I9.

It can be seen from the foregoing that there -I will be no tearing of the vines which are held in down on the handles 40 and moving the device to the desired setting.

While I have shown the eccentrics 3| within the box-like structure, it will be apparent that they will function in a similar manner if placed on the outside of the member 20, where they will not be fouled with chaff or any lubricant which is used will not find its way into the fruit.

While I thus illustrated and described my invention, it is not my intention to limit myself to the precise form illustrated herein, but I do intend to cover such forms and modiiications thereof as fall fairly within the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cranberry picker consisting of a rectangular box having an open ground engaging bottom, the edges of which are serrated, a plurality4 of horizontal bars slidably mounted in parallelism across the opposite sides of the box, each of said bars having vertical pegs projecting from the tial vacuum in said box through the top of the rooia plurality of parallel slide bars mounted across lthe bottom of the box, downturned pins carried by said bars, eccentric for moving said nslide bars in opposite directions and downturned REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the illeV of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 477,177 Groom June 14, 1892 1,220,132 Jenkins Mar. 20, 1917 1,481,808 Roach Jan. 29, 1924 1,533,644 Gebhardt Apr. 14, 1925 2,352,854 Miller July 4, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS y Number Country Date v` 220,634 Great Britain Aug. 13, 1924 704,012 France Sept. 5, 1930 

